Eyeshield for headgear



Jan. 16, 1951 VACA EYESHIELD FOR HEADGEAR Filed-April 19, 1948 INVENTOR. Humberto Uaca A T TOE/V5345.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,538,607 EYESHIELD FOR HEADGEAR HumbertoVaca, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 19, 1948, Serial No. 21,962

shield in theform of a transparent filter which is pivotally and slidably mounted on the visoror .brim of a cap or the like, so as to be readily operable to a depending position before the wearers eyes and to an inoperative position underlyin the brim or visor of the cap. The invention is particularly useful to motorists and participants in athletic events whose movements are such that their eyes are sometimes exposed directly to the glare of the Sun. The-; shield of this invention is ,mounted' so that under such conditions the wearer need only release a conveniently positioned finger catch to automatically shift the shield to the operative position before the wearers eyes.

'The object of this invention is to' provide a mounting for a shield of this type which is compact, positive in its action, and which lends itself to economical manufacture. At the same time,

the mounting is not complicated with numerous parts and it is constructed in a manner which assures long use without becoming defective.

Other objects in the way of construction and v the ease of operation will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which Figure 1 is a View showing the cap on the head of the wearer with the shield in the depending or operative position. a

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the underside of the cap with the shield in the folded or inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 33 of Figure 2 showing the gen- .eral arrangement of the shield mounting with the shield in the inoperative position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the underside of the visor illustrating the general arrangement of the parts with the shield in the operative position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the upper side of the visor showing the details of the pivotal catch.

In the drawings I have shown the invention as applied to a baseball cap, but it will be appreciated that the shield may be mounted on or used I with most any type of cap or hat. As is shown,

the cap includes a body portion 19 which fits on the wearers head and a visor H which is attached to the lower edge of the cap at the front thereof for shading the wearers eyes from the 6 Claims.

5 even be made of a material for polarizing light rays. Preferably the shield is of contoured cross section, so as to conform in shape to and snugly underlie the visor when it is folded to the inoperative position. Along its lower edge the shield is provided with a centrally disposed notched out portion 53 which is adapted ho-accommodate the wearers nose when the shield is pivoted to the depending operative position. 7

On the underside of visor Ii there is mounted as by rivets M a track'memberlfi which extends forwardly from adjacent the rear edge of the visor. Track i5 is preferably formed as a stamping with a depending guard portion it at its rear end and with channel shaped edges ii along each side which serve as guides for a slide member is as isbest shown in Figure 4. On the upper face which are fashioned into a pair of forwardly extending'ears 25;

Shield i2 is fixed to a hinge member 26 which is pivoted on a pin 2"! between ears 25. At its lower or forward end hinge member 26 is fashioned into a hook portion 28 which is arranged to engage with a catch member 29 on track E5 to hold the shield in a folded position beneath the visor. The rear portion of catch 29 is fashioned into a bumper 39 for limiting the forward movement of slide member it. Catch 25? is arranged on track l5 such that when the forward end of slide I8 abuts against bumper 3i] and the shield ispivoted upwardly to a position underlying thevisor, hook member 28 clears the catchZQ and can be engaged therewith only by sliding the shield rearwardly while in theiolded condition. Slide !8 is provided with a hole 3! .whichalignswith hole 28 in track i5 when hook 28 is engaged with catch 29 so that linger catch I9 interlocks slide It with track i5 as is best ,shown. in Figure 3.

ends opened. At its rear end spring 32 projects between the downwardly bent portions 24 and is backed against an abutment 34 struck downwardly from track member I5. The spring is controlled at its forward end by a bail 35 which is guided within a pair of slots 36 at each side of casing 33. The bail 35 is connected at its ends to an offset hinge bracket 31 which is attached, as by a rivet 38, to hinge member 23 and pivoted together with hinge member 2'63 on pin: 21. As is best shown in Figure 4, bail 3'5 acts to compress spring 32 whenever the shield is pivoted to the folded position or when slide [8 is shifted rearwardly on track I 5.

In the inoperative position the shield. is re tained in the position indicated by'solid lines in: Figure 3. In this position the; shield isaprev-entedi from pivoting downwardly by the engagement of hook 28 with catch 29 and finger catch" l'9f en"- gages in hole 3| to hold the shield in its rearward position. It-will be noted tha-t when' the shield is in this position' spring 32 is under maximum compression. If the wearer now desires to-shif-t the shield to the operative position, he merely actuates finger. piece 2i forwardly so as to' release slide m'from engagement with catch l9 and" the shield automatically snaps downwardly and forwardl'y to the operative position shown in Figure 1. When slide is is released from the restraining action of catch l 9'- it is shifted forwa-rdlyunder the-influence of spring 32. The forward movementofslide l8 effects a disengagement of members 28 and 29 and spring 32 isfree tofurther expand. which, in so doing, acts upon bail 35' to snapthes'hiel'd' downwardlytothe operative-position-in an'abrupt'manner'.

Theshield may-bezshift'ed'from the-operativeto the inoperative position with equal facility; To accomplish thisthewearer simply pivots the shield upwardly so-that'it'lies substantially flush with the underside of visor H- and then s'hifts it rearwardly. In so doing hook 2-8 engages with catch 29 and catch 19 drops into hole" 3lin slide [8- to hold the slide in its locked rearward position until it is again released by actuating finger piece 2 l-.

What 1 claim is? 1. An eye shield attachment for a cap or the like of the type having a visor for shading: the wearers eyes comprising a track' attached to" the underside of the Visor and extending forwardly and rearwardly of the visor, a slide member'movable to and-from rearward and forward positions in said'track, a shieldpivoted on said slide-member for movement to and from anoperative DOT- sition' depending beforethe wearers eyesiand an elevated inoperative position substantially underlying the visor, a spring operatively connected at one end to said" track and at the other'end to said shield at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said shield and said'slide'member, said spring normally tending to pivot said shield downwardly'to th'e operative positionand tois'hift said slide-memberforwardly'in'said track,

hook' means engageabl'e' when said slide isshift'ed rearwardly for holding said shieldin the elevated position, said hook' means being released when said slide is shifted forwardly, and means for releasably holding said slide in a rearward position whereby when said shield is in thexihoperative position and said holding means are released said spring shifts said slide member forwardly to. disengage said' hook means" and snaps 7 said: shield .downwardly'to the operative position.

2'; An eye shield attachment for-a cap or the like of the type having a visor for shading the wearers eyes comprising a track attached to the underside of the visor and extending forwardly and rearwardly of the visor, a slide member movable to and from rearward and forward positions in said track, a shield pivoted on said slide member for movement to and from an operative position depending before the wearers eyes and an elevated inoperative position substantially underlying thavisor, a spring operatively connected at one end with said track and at the other end to said shield at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said shield and slide, said spring normally 'tending to pivot said shield downwardly to the operative position and to shift said slide member-forwardly in said track, hook means engagea'ble; when said slide is shifted rearwardly for holding said shield in the elevated position, said liook'means being released when said slide is shifted forwardly, sa-id track and slide member having openings therethrough which register when: said slide is shifted tosaid rearward position,- and aspring'bias'ed catch pivoted on said track and having a finger piece projecting upwardlyf through said Visor, said catchbeing engageable in the registering Openings in said track and slide mem'b'er to-ihterlock said slide and track whereby when sai'd 'shield is disposed in the inoperativeposition and; said finger piece is actuated tor'el'ease saidslide, said spring shifts said slide forwardly in-sai'd track to-release said hook means and snapssa-id shield downwardly to the openativeposition;

3. An eye shield attachment for a cap or the like of the type having a visor for shading" the wearers eyes comprising a track attached to the underside"- of the. visor and extending forwardly and rearwardly 0f the'visor, a'sl'idemem'ber'movable to and from rearward and forward positions in said track, a hinge member pivoted on said slide member and shiftable therewith, a shield fixed on saidhinge member, said shield and hinge memberbeing arranged to pivot as a unit to and from an operative position depending from the visor before the-wearers eyes and anelevatedinoperative position substantially underlyingthe visor; a spring anchored at one' endon said track and having its"- other end operatively connected withsaid hinge member at apoint offset from'the pivotal connection between said hinge member and slide, said spring" normally tending to shift said slide forwardlyand topivot said shield downwardly to the operative position, a stop on said track for limiting theforward movement of saidfislide', hool means e'ngageable when said slide is shifted rearwardly for holding said shield in the el'evate'd position, said hook means being releasedwhen said slide is shifted forwardly, and means for releasably holding said slide in-a rearward position whereby when said shield is in the inoperative position and said holding means are released said'spring shifts said slide membe forwardly to" disengage said'hook means and snaps said shield downwardly to the operative position.

42 The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said spring comprises a coiled compression spring and including a spring casing on said slide member surrounding said spring, an abutment'on' said track for backing one end of said spring, and a bail on said hinge member extending-around the other end of said spring.

5. An eye shield attachment for a cap or the like of the type having a visor for shading, the

wearers; eyes'comprising a track attachedto the underside of the visor and extending forwardly operative position depending from the visor before the wearer's eyes and an elevated inoperative position substantially underlying the visor, a spring operatively connected at one end to said track and at the other end to said hinge member at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said hinge and slide members and tending to shift said slide forwardly and to pivot said shield downwardly to the operative position, a stop on said track for limiting the forward movement of said slide, hook means engageable when said slide is shifted rearwardly for holding said shield in the elevated position, said hook means being released when said slide is shifted forwardly, said track and slide member having openings therethrough which register when said slide (-5 track to release said hook means and snaps said shield downwardly to the operative position.

6. An eye shield attachment for a cap or the like of the type having a visor for shading the Wearers eyes comprising a track mounted on the underside of the visor and extending in a direction forwardly and rearwardly of the visor, a

\ slide member movable along said track, a shield is shifted to said rearward position, and a spring biased catch pivoted on said track and having a finger piece projecting upwardly through said visor, said catch being engageable in the registering openings in said track and slide memberto interlock said slide and track whereby when said shield is disposed in the inoperative position and said finger piece is actuated to release said slide, 30

said spring shifts said slide forwardly in said pivoted on said slide member for movement to an operative position depending before the wearers eyes and to an elevated inoperative position substantially underlying the visor, a spring acting at one end against said track and operatively connected at its other end to said shield at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said shield and said slide, said spring normally tending to pivot said shield downwardly to said operative position and to shift said slide member forwardly in said track, and means for holding said slide in a rearward position on said track and for holding said shield in said inoperative position.

- HUMBERTO VACA.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

